Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300412251 - Carpenter Technology Corporation

Inspection Information - Office: Harrisburg Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:55 a.m. on May 30, 2000, Employee #1 and a coworker finished inspecting the cable hoist on the P & H overhead crane in building #64 at Carpenter. Employee #1 started to walk across the 21 ft 9 in. high roof of the two-story cinder block office structure to descend a fixed metal ladder at the building's southeast corner. The coworker had already climbed down from the roof to a landing platform and was starting to descend the fixed metal stairs from the platform to the plant floor when he heard the crane move. Apparently, Employee #1 had the radio control box for the crane hung around his neck, and, as he was walking away, the crane engaged and began to move toward him. Employee #1 glanced back at the crane, ran one or two steps and then lunged for the fixed metal ladder. He lost his grip on the ladder and fell, striking the west railing on the fixed metal stairs before landing on the plant floor. Two coworkers went to his aid and contacted the Carpenter Asset Protection Services Communications Center. When the first EMTs arrived at the scene at 7:59 a.m., Employee #1 was unconscious and lying on his right side, face down, with a pool of blood around his head. He was unresponsive, but breathing and had a pulse. Employee #1 was transported by ambulance to a helipad and flown to Lehigh Valley Medical Center, where he died on May 31, 2000, of head injuries sustained in the fall.

Keywords: HEAD, MAINTENANCE, UNCONSCIOUSNESS, ROOF, REMOTE CONTROL, WORK RULES, OVERHEAD CRANE, FALL, FALL PROTECTION